FIV Reminiscenses
Helen Morrison, President, Board of Directors
I began volunteering at Kingdom Animal Shelter in 2012. We were a small, store front Shelter on Memorial Drive in St. Johnsbury Center. I remember seeing a notice posted on the wall in the back that said, if any cats tested positive for FeLV (Feline Leukemia) or FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus), then they would be euthanized. It was common practice in all the shelters. The very sad thing was that many of these cats were the picture of health and were just carriers. Not long after that, I went to a Northeast Humane Society Conference and there was a woman there who was the Director of a Shelter in Massachusetts who took FIV+ and FeLV+ cats. In fact, the FIV+ cats were roaming at will with the negative FIV cats. Their vets were fine with that. As I explored more, it turned out that FIV+ cats can be with FIV- cats, as long as there is no intense, vicious fighting that involves deep canine wounds. They can groom each other, eat out of the same bowls, even play-fight. They just can’t get into bloody fights.
At first, then, if we got FIV+ cats at KAS, I called this Massachusetts Shelter to see if they would take them, and most often, they would. I would waft them down….and she would let me know when they were adopted. Then we began to have them in fosters of our own, and adopted them out from there.
And finally, we would have them in the Shelter, among the other cats, though not interacting, just to make sure there was no passing of the virus. Probably over the past 13 years, we have found wonderful homes for over 20 FIV+ cats.
In my own home, there are two FIV+ cats among our other non-FIV cats. One, Sydney, has his own suite, because he can be aggressive and unpredictable with other cats. We spend lots of time with him.
At first, then, if we got FIV+ cats at KAS, I called this Massachusetts Shelter to see if they would take them, and most often, they would. I would waft them down….and she would let me know when they were adopted. Then we began to have them in fosters of our own, and adopted them out from there.
And finally, we would have them in the Shelter, among the other cats, though not interacting, just to make sure there was no passing of the virus. Probably over the past 13 years, we have found wonderful homes for over 20 FIV+ cats.
In my own home, there are two FIV+ cats among our other non-FIV cats. One, Sydney, has his own suite, because he can be aggressive and unpredictable with other cats. We spend lots of time with him.
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The other, Dominic, gets along fine with the others and enjoys their company, playing together, giving mutual baths. No one has contracted FIV from Dominic.
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So, I thought I would share some of our FIV+ kitties and their stories, always in hopes that there will be more understanding and less stigma…and to show that these kitties can be the most wonderful additions to a family’s feline companions, as long as the introductions are done carefully. FIV+ kitties have always had a very special place in my heart!
And now…let me introduce you to four wonderful, sweet, fabulous FIV+ boys: Gulliver, Henri, Tyler, and Archie.
And now…let me introduce you to four wonderful, sweet, fabulous FIV+ boys: Gulliver, Henri, Tyler, and Archie.
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Gulliver
Gulliver is a happy, healthy FIV+ kitty. He likes to alternate his time between the screen porch and lying in front of the wood stove. On some evenings, he enjoys zooming around the house and playing "chase the string" or "hide and spring out when you don't expect him". When Gulliver wants his belly rubbed, he will perform a somersault on your foot conveniently showing his belly. He is always welcoming to guests and likes to be in the room where people are talking. If the conversation moves to a different room, he'll follow the people and situate himself right in the middle of things. He is very much loved by his family.
-Jennifer Costanzo
Gulliver is a happy, healthy FIV+ kitty. He likes to alternate his time between the screen porch and lying in front of the wood stove. On some evenings, he enjoys zooming around the house and playing "chase the string" or "hide and spring out when you don't expect him". When Gulliver wants his belly rubbed, he will perform a somersault on your foot conveniently showing his belly. He is always welcoming to guests and likes to be in the room where people are talking. If the conversation moves to a different room, he'll follow the people and situate himself right in the middle of things. He is very much loved by his family.
-Jennifer Costanzo
Henri
I guess that is where I can start my update on Henri. Not sure how many times a day I say, "No, Henri" or "that cat!" He is FULL of energy and is just a brute. When we were considering Henri for adoption it was a big concern for us when we learned of his FIV status. We were still grieving the loss of our "inherited" senior kitty, Blackie" who was the best cat ever! Blackie was at least 18 years old when we had to make the most heart-wrenching decision pet parents have to make. Our hearts broke and we swore we did not want any more pets as the loss was just too painful. However, the house was too quiet, and we had all of that extra love left to share. So, we started "casually" looking online at adoptable cats and landed on Henri's picture. We met him and knew he was the kitty to help us heal and bring a "spark" back to our lives. Finding out he was FIV positive was definitely not what we wanted to hear. If we were going to adopt, we wanted to adopt a cat who would hopefully live as long as Blackie did. We instantly thought, the FIV status was an early death sentence.
I guess that is where I can start my update on Henri. Not sure how many times a day I say, "No, Henri" or "that cat!" He is FULL of energy and is just a brute. When we were considering Henri for adoption it was a big concern for us when we learned of his FIV status. We were still grieving the loss of our "inherited" senior kitty, Blackie" who was the best cat ever! Blackie was at least 18 years old when we had to make the most heart-wrenching decision pet parents have to make. Our hearts broke and we swore we did not want any more pets as the loss was just too painful. However, the house was too quiet, and we had all of that extra love left to share. So, we started "casually" looking online at adoptable cats and landed on Henri's picture. We met him and knew he was the kitty to help us heal and bring a "spark" back to our lives. Finding out he was FIV positive was definitely not what we wanted to hear. If we were going to adopt, we wanted to adopt a cat who would hopefully live as long as Blackie did. We instantly thought, the FIV status was an early death sentence.
After some research and after speaking with Helen at the shelter, we felt "fairly" confident that adopting Henri was still the right decision for us and the FIV status was not going to change that.
It has been almost a year since we brought Henri home. He shows no signs of sickness. In fact, he is a force of nature. He is large and in charge, a powerful cat. He loves hard, plays hard and his curiosity knows no bounds! We joke about what we thought was a random comment made when Henri was still at the shelter, something about Henri's antics...At first, we had no idea what that meant. Well, we sure do now. He gets himself into so many awkward situations, "helps" us with all projects around the house and always lets us know who he thinks he is. He shreds his scratch pads and of course loves any type or size cardboard box. He requires what Glenn calls daily walks. Glenn carries him from one room to another, so he can look out all of the windows and just be held- until of course, he no longer wishes to be held. He always joins us in the bathroom, on guard during showers and is still fascinated by the toilet and he needs to be carried out of the bathroom for some unknown reason. He is the master of destroying his toys, stealing items and doing whatever it takes to get what he wants. If that means knocking off one item at a time from the counter until we respond to his demands, then so be it. Again, I say, No, Henri! Then he does something that makes our hearts melt and we say, "Oh, Henri!" He makes us laugh every day and we are convinced no cat can roll over or stretch as adorably as he can. No cat can look as cute as he does when he is sleeping. He is a picky eater (you would never know by his size) and he can be overly affectionate one minute and just as quickly decide he no longer wishes to be touched...he is a cat. He runs and jumps and gets the zoomies just as other cats do. However, he is no ordinary cat. He is an extraordinary feline. He rules the household. He is both King Henri and Henry the Royal Jester. And, in case you couldn't tell, we absolutely adore him.
There are no guarantees in life. As with so many cats that end up in shelters, Henri's past was not a positive one. He now lives the life he deserves, one that all cats deserve, whether it be for ten years or twenty.
-Beth and Glenn
It has been almost a year since we brought Henri home. He shows no signs of sickness. In fact, he is a force of nature. He is large and in charge, a powerful cat. He loves hard, plays hard and his curiosity knows no bounds! We joke about what we thought was a random comment made when Henri was still at the shelter, something about Henri's antics...At first, we had no idea what that meant. Well, we sure do now. He gets himself into so many awkward situations, "helps" us with all projects around the house and always lets us know who he thinks he is. He shreds his scratch pads and of course loves any type or size cardboard box. He requires what Glenn calls daily walks. Glenn carries him from one room to another, so he can look out all of the windows and just be held- until of course, he no longer wishes to be held. He always joins us in the bathroom, on guard during showers and is still fascinated by the toilet and he needs to be carried out of the bathroom for some unknown reason. He is the master of destroying his toys, stealing items and doing whatever it takes to get what he wants. If that means knocking off one item at a time from the counter until we respond to his demands, then so be it. Again, I say, No, Henri! Then he does something that makes our hearts melt and we say, "Oh, Henri!" He makes us laugh every day and we are convinced no cat can roll over or stretch as adorably as he can. No cat can look as cute as he does when he is sleeping. He is a picky eater (you would never know by his size) and he can be overly affectionate one minute and just as quickly decide he no longer wishes to be touched...he is a cat. He runs and jumps and gets the zoomies just as other cats do. However, he is no ordinary cat. He is an extraordinary feline. He rules the household. He is both King Henri and Henry the Royal Jester. And, in case you couldn't tell, we absolutely adore him.
There are no guarantees in life. As with so many cats that end up in shelters, Henri's past was not a positive one. He now lives the life he deserves, one that all cats deserve, whether it be for ten years or twenty.
-Beth and Glenn
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Tyler
Tyler was born somewhere around 2017 or earlier.
It is believed that he was owned at one time.
In or around 2022, Tyler found himself stray or abandoned in St. Johnsbury and was hanging around a building slated for destruction.
Some kind friends of the shelter, brought Tyler in to the shelter to be sure he was safe and cared for.
Due to being on the streets, Tyler had some medical issues that needed to be tended to (dental care and other procedures).
Along the way, it was discovered that Tyler is FIV +. He also seems to be blind in one eye.
Tyler was adopted by a lovely woman who enjoyed Tyler for 2 1/2 years. Sadly, due to some of her own medical issues, she was no longer able to care for Tyler and she had to surrender him.
Tyler went into the home of a volunteer who had recently lost her beloved senior cat.
Initially Tyler was a foster cat.
Tyler took a few days to settle in and the first night was loud with distressed meows, most of the night.
I am sure Tyler was missing his mom and his own home and routine.
Over time, the volunteer fell in love with Tyler's sweet and gentle personality and Tyler was again adopted in August of 2025..
Tyler was born somewhere around 2017 or earlier.
It is believed that he was owned at one time.
In or around 2022, Tyler found himself stray or abandoned in St. Johnsbury and was hanging around a building slated for destruction.
Some kind friends of the shelter, brought Tyler in to the shelter to be sure he was safe and cared for.
Due to being on the streets, Tyler had some medical issues that needed to be tended to (dental care and other procedures).
Along the way, it was discovered that Tyler is FIV +. He also seems to be blind in one eye.
Tyler was adopted by a lovely woman who enjoyed Tyler for 2 1/2 years. Sadly, due to some of her own medical issues, she was no longer able to care for Tyler and she had to surrender him.
Tyler went into the home of a volunteer who had recently lost her beloved senior cat.
Initially Tyler was a foster cat.
Tyler took a few days to settle in and the first night was loud with distressed meows, most of the night.
I am sure Tyler was missing his mom and his own home and routine.
Over time, the volunteer fell in love with Tyler's sweet and gentle personality and Tyler was again adopted in August of 2025..
Tyler is doing so well in his home. He has made good friends with a young, black lab named Bella and Tyler has a special meow which he uses to call for Bella to come visit him. Tyler loves to play with small balls and wand toys. He also loves his catnip and his heated bed. He woke up his new mom this morning racing around the upstairs of the house. Tyler gets the zoomies and sometimes runs so fast that his back end slides out from under him. It is hard to believe that a small cat can make so much noise!
Tyler has no interest in going outside to live the hard life of a stray. He loves to be warm, safe and dry with regular meals and good nutrition.
He loves to be cuddled, brushed and told what a good and handsome boy he is.
Even though Tyler is FIV+, he is healthy and thriving in his home and he is loved.
Tyler has no interest in going outside to live the hard life of a stray. He loves to be warm, safe and dry with regular meals and good nutrition.
He loves to be cuddled, brushed and told what a good and handsome boy he is.
Even though Tyler is FIV+, he is healthy and thriving in his home and he is loved.
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This is Tyler's forever home.
-Nancy Rivet |
Archie
We are all doing just great. We just finished a giant six cat play session with a couple of rawhide laces after waiting, of course, for their lunch to settle. There are the occasional tiffs and tussles every now and again but they know they cannot get into a full-on fight and stop when we say to do so.
Archie is grand. He is probably the biggest of all six with Oozy, the tuxedo brother of Buddy (the little black with 7 white chest hairs of which he is very proud). He isn't quite as quick or as coordinated as some of the others but as you said, he definitely steals my heart. (Please don't tell the others who I adore as well but there is something about him....) Anyway, sharing would be fine and I'm very happy to do so if it helps. I will send photos from my phone as that's where most of them are. Best to all of you and all the angels who foster and help KAS in any way.
When we first got the call from Nancy, it went something like this....
"Hi Teri! It's Nancy." and after the usual how's everybody doing chat, she said, "Teri, we have this kitten. He was the only one in his litter to survive and we think there is something wrong with one of his legs and he might need surgery in the future. Will you take him?" I told her that I would have to talk to Tony and I would call her right back. Well, the answer obviously was yes and so on a snowy winter day, I drove over to St. J. to pick him up. I met his wonderful foster folks and told them we would take great care of their boy and keep the name Archie. It fits him. The feline family has blended in quite well. Then I figured out that Archie was grain sensitive but had it confirmed by our vet who also told me he was FIV +. Sometimes if a kitten is tested very early, the virus does not exhibit yet. We then immediately had all five others tested and they all tested negative. Our vet told us that unless the cats get into something of a feral cat fight and break skin etcetera, your other cats should remain FIV free. So, we have pretty much trained them all not to fight. A light play wrestle is one thing, but we can't risk them being rougher with one another. They are quite good about it but we're pretty vigilant and here at home almost all the time. All the cats have been neutered so FIV via sexual transmission is not an issue.
We are all doing just great. We just finished a giant six cat play session with a couple of rawhide laces after waiting, of course, for their lunch to settle. There are the occasional tiffs and tussles every now and again but they know they cannot get into a full-on fight and stop when we say to do so.
Archie is grand. He is probably the biggest of all six with Oozy, the tuxedo brother of Buddy (the little black with 7 white chest hairs of which he is very proud). He isn't quite as quick or as coordinated as some of the others but as you said, he definitely steals my heart. (Please don't tell the others who I adore as well but there is something about him....) Anyway, sharing would be fine and I'm very happy to do so if it helps. I will send photos from my phone as that's where most of them are. Best to all of you and all the angels who foster and help KAS in any way.
When we first got the call from Nancy, it went something like this....
"Hi Teri! It's Nancy." and after the usual how's everybody doing chat, she said, "Teri, we have this kitten. He was the only one in his litter to survive and we think there is something wrong with one of his legs and he might need surgery in the future. Will you take him?" I told her that I would have to talk to Tony and I would call her right back. Well, the answer obviously was yes and so on a snowy winter day, I drove over to St. J. to pick him up. I met his wonderful foster folks and told them we would take great care of their boy and keep the name Archie. It fits him. The feline family has blended in quite well. Then I figured out that Archie was grain sensitive but had it confirmed by our vet who also told me he was FIV +. Sometimes if a kitten is tested very early, the virus does not exhibit yet. We then immediately had all five others tested and they all tested negative. Our vet told us that unless the cats get into something of a feral cat fight and break skin etcetera, your other cats should remain FIV free. So, we have pretty much trained them all not to fight. A light play wrestle is one thing, but we can't risk them being rougher with one another. They are quite good about it but we're pretty vigilant and here at home almost all the time. All the cats have been neutered so FIV via sexual transmission is not an issue.
Archie is a love. He sleeps under the covers with me every night as do some of the others. Honestly, at night it sometimes seems like a revolving door for them to get under the covers but when the purrs start up, all is good and back to sleep we go. Archie and I have a special bond and I am definitely his human of choice. He gets along well with the others and with Tony, my husband, and seems to have a hero worship type thing going on with Oozy who is pretty calm and cool and a big guy too like most tuxedos.
Arch gets his special grain free food and the others all eat a urinary diet since Oozy had a urinary blockage. Buddy is now partial to only the dry urinary food and so the mealtimes take a while to lay out the right food for the right cat and then I'm not only the lunch lady but the lunch monitor to make sure Fred (our male Siamese who eats way too fast) doesn't menace the others for their bowls nor others doing a bit of menacing to get more than their fair share. It's a bit of a zoo but it's such a fun and loving zoo. We keep close watch on them all and know what's normal in terms of behavior and what is not and keep up with watching for any symptoms that way. I wouldn't trade any of them for the world!
Just so you know, my niece and her husband in St. Louis, MO tried to foster a FIV cat and it was a foster fail, as the saying goes. They kept their foster cat, Cali (a beautiful little calico female) for several years. Then they had Norman, also FIV + a long haired ginger and after he passed they now have Albie who is also FIV. So, they have rescued 3 FIV cats and they are all just lovely cats who seem to know they've landed in some kind of cat paradise.
We are so lucky to have these four-footed purr boxes in our lives. There may be a bit more extra work with a FIV feline but I feel it's worth every second!
-Teri and Tony
Just so you know, my niece and her husband in St. Louis, MO tried to foster a FIV cat and it was a foster fail, as the saying goes. They kept their foster cat, Cali (a beautiful little calico female) for several years. Then they had Norman, also FIV + a long haired ginger and after he passed they now have Albie who is also FIV. So, they have rescued 3 FIV cats and they are all just lovely cats who seem to know they've landed in some kind of cat paradise.
We are so lucky to have these four-footed purr boxes in our lives. There may be a bit more extra work with a FIV feline but I feel it's worth every second!
-Teri and Tony
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